Systems and methods for automatically reconfiguring a building structure

ABSTRACT

Techniques for automatically modulating a physical configuration of a reconfigurable building structure. A reconfigurable building structure may be constructed of physical elements that are movable with respect to one another to facilitate actuating the reconfigurable building structure between a plurality of different physical configurations. The physical configuration of a reconfigurable building structure may be adjusted to accommodate for physical dimensions of an item that is going to be moved into the reconfigurable building structure. For example, a spacing between two shelves may be expanded in response to an order being placed for a large item. In this way, when the item is delivered to a physical address associated with the reconfigurable building structure, various physical characteristics of the reconfigurable building structure may have already been modulated to accept the item.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/568,015, filed Sep. 11, 2019, entitled “SystemsAnd Methods For Automatically Reconfiguring A Building Structure”, theentire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein inits entirety.

BACKGROUND

Conventional building structures are constructed of physical elementsthat are statically located with respect to one another. For example, anentrance hallway of a typical apartment building has a fixed width thatis defined by a distance between two opposing walls. Here, the width ofthe hallway is fixed in the sense that it cannot be adjusted withoutundertaking demolition and reconstruction of the opposing walls. Asanother example, a shelf-space within a typical kitchen pantry has afixed height that is defined by a distance between two verticallyadjacent shelves—each resting on respective shelf pegs. Here, adjustingthe height of the shelf-space may be accomplished only by removing theshelf pegs and replacing them at a different height within the kitchenpantry. In either case, adjusting the physical configuration of thebuilding structure (e.g. the hallway or the kitchen pantry) can beaccomplished only through manual and laborious construction methods.

Online commerce and the frequency with which businesses and individualsreceive parcel deliveries has grown tremendously in recent years.Unfortunately, the static nature in which conventional buildingstructures are built renders them ill-suited for accommodating thevarious sizes of items being delivered in association with the buildingstructures. For example, although the fixed width of the above-mentionedentrance hallway may be suitable for people to walk through, this fixedwidth may be too small to accommodate a delivery of a large piece offurniture (e.g., a couch or a piano). As another example, the height ofthe above-mentioned shelf-space may be large enough to store items up toa certain size but may be unable to store larger items that areperiodically delivered. Thus, the static nature in which conventionalbuilding structures are built results in inefficiencies with respect toaccommodating varying physical dimensions of items as they are deliveredto a physical address.

It is with respect to these and other considerations that the followingdisclosure is made.

SUMMARY

This disclosure provides techniques for automatically modulating aphysical configuration of a reconfigurable building structure. In someembodiments, the physical configuration of the reconfigurable buildingstructure may be adjusted for the specific purpose of accommodatingphysical dimensions of an item that is going to be moved into thereconfigurable building structure (e.g., upon delivery of the item).Generally described, a reconfigurable building structure may beconstructed of physical elements that are movable with respect to oneanother to facilitate actuating the reconfigurable building structurebetween a plurality of different physical configurations. As an example,individual ones of these movable elements may be installed on tracksthat enable these movable elements to slide back and forth. Uponreceiving an indication that an item is going to be physically movedinto the reconfigurable building structure, a determination may be madeas to one or more physical dimensions of the item (e.g., a height and/orwidth of the item). Then, based on the determined physical dimensions ofthe item, the reconfigurable building structure may be actuated into anappropriate physical configuration in order to efficiently accommodatephysical movement and/or placement of the item into at least a portionof the reconfigurable building structure. In this way, a physicalconfiguration of the reconfigurable building structure may continuallyadapt as items of various physical dimensions are delivered—therebypreventing the occurrence of situations in which a particular item thatis delivered in association with the reconfigurable building structureis incapable of being physically moved into the reconfigurable buildingstructure.

As an illustrative physical embodiment, a reconfigurable buildingstructure may be in the form of a kitchen pantry having a plurality ofmovable shelves (i.e., movable elements) that are installed on tracks tofacilitate vertical actuation of the shelves with respect to oneanother. It will be appreciated that the height of a particularshelf-space (e.g., usable volume between shelves) will be defined by thedistance between a top surface of a first shelf and a bottom surface ofa second shelf that is positioned on the tracks above the first shelf.In this specific example, the height of the particular shelf-space maybe increased or decreased by actuating the first shelf away from ortoward the second shelf, respectively. The reconfigurable buildingstructure may be communicatively coupled to a controller for determiningan appropriate physical configuration for accommodating an item that isto be physically moved into the reconfigurable building structure. Forexample, the controller may receive order data associated with an onlineorder that has been placed for an item of a specific type (e.g., a canof food) that is typically stored within a kitchen pantry. Then, thecontroller may determine item dimension data that defines physicaldimensions of the item (e.g., a height of the can, a width of the can,etc.).

Based on the item dimension data, the controller may identify aparticular physical configuration of the kitchen pantry that is suitablefor accommodating physical movement of the item (e.g., the can of food)into the particular shelf-space. For example, the controller todetermine that a current height of the particular shelf-space is toosmall to fit the item. The controller may further determine a particularphysical configuration in which the height of the particular shelf-spaceis large enough to fit the item. Ultimately, the controller may causeactuation of one or both of the first shelf or second shelf to adjustthe physical dimensions of the particular shelf-space to accommodate forstorage of the item within the particular shelf-space. Morespecifically, the controller may actuate the kitchen pantry into theparticular physical configuration in which the height of the particularshelf-space is large enough to fit the item. In this way, as items ofvarious physical dimensions are delivered, a physical configuration of areconfigurable building structure (e.g., in this example the kitchenpantry) may be automatically modulated for the specific purpose ofaccommodating these various physical dimensions of the items (e.g., acan of food).

As an illustrative process implementation, a system identifies amultitude of movable elements that define various surfaces of areconfigurable building structure. Exemplary reconfigurable buildingstructures include, but are not limited to, specific portions of abuilding (e.g., an entryway, a closet, a pantry, a build-in bookshelf, agarage, etc.) that are constructed of movable elements (e.g., walls,shelves, doors, etc.). Individual ones of these movable elements arespecifically configured to be actuated between multiple differentpositions. For example, in an embodiment in which a movable element is awall that forms an entryway to a building, a particular side of the wallmay be affixed to a hinge so that entire wall may be actuated to swingopen—thereby increasing one or more physical dimensions of the entrywayto the building. As another example, in an embodiment in which a movableelement is a shelf that forms a shelf-space of a garage storage rack ora kitchen pantry, the shelf may be coupled to tracks so that the entireshelf can be actuated up and down as desired for the specific purpose ofcontrollably modulating a height of the shelf-space.

In this illustrative process implementation, the system may also receiveconfiguration data that defines multiple physical configurations of thereconfigurable building structure. In general terms, individual ones ofthese multiple physical configurations correspond to differentcombinations of the relative positions between the movable elements thathave been identified by the system. For example, a first physicalconfiguration of the reconfigurable building structure may correspond toa first positional combination in which two particularly identifiablemovable elements are spaced a first distance apart, whereas a secondphysical configuration may correspond to a second positional combinationin which these two particularly identifiable movable elements are spaceda second distance apart that is farther than the first distance. In suchan example, these two particularly identifiable movable elements may beactuated from the first positional combination into the secondpositional combination in order to enable an item of a particular size(e.g., a particular height, a particular width, etc.) to fit betweenthese two particularly identifiable movable elements. For example, ifthe movable elements are shelves, then these shelves may be actuatedinto the second positional combination to enable a large item to fitinto a particular shelf-space for storage purposes.

Prior to modulating the physical configuration of the reconfigurablebuilding structure, the system may receive an indication that an item isgoing to be physically moved into the reconfigurable building structure.As an example, the system might receive order data that is generatedwhen an online order is placed for the item (e.g., via a smartphoneapp). Based on the item being included within a specific category ofitems that in known (or presumed) to be stored in the reconfigurablebuilding structure, the system may determine that the item is going tobe moved into the reconfigurable building structure upon receipt (i.e.,when delivered to a physical address associated with the reconfigurablebuilding structure). To illustrate this point, suppose that thereconfigurable building structure is a kitchen pantry and that the itemfor which the online order has been placed is included within anonperishable canned foods category. Further suppose that setupparameters associated with the reconfigurable building structureindicate that upon receipt of nonperishable canned foods at a user'sresidence (e.g., the physical address associated with the reconfigurablebuilding structure), these types of items are in all (or nearly allinstances) placed into the kitchen pantry for storage. In this specificbut nonlimiting example, receiving the order data for the item that isincluded within the nonperishable canned foods category may serve as theindication that the item is to be physically moved into thereconfigurable building structure upon delivery.

The system may also determine item dimension data that defines one ormore physical dimensions of the item. For example, under thecircumstances in which the indication is simply receiving the order datacorresponding to the online order, the system may analyze the order datato identify product specifications that include the one or more physicaldimensions of the item. Based on the item dimension data, the system maydetermine a specific physical configuration of the reconfigurablebuilding structure that is suitable for accommodating physical movementof the item into a portion of the reconfigurable building structure. Forexample, the system may determine a specific physical configuration of akitchen pantry in which a particular shelf of the kitchen pantry has aheight that is tall enough for the item to be physically placed onto theparticular shelf for storage.

Ultimately, responsive to receiving the indication that the item is tobe physically moved into the reconfigurable building structure, thesystem may cause actuation of at least some of the movable elements thatdefine the various surfaces of the reconfigurable building structure.More specifically, the system may actuate various movable elements(e.g., shelves, walls, etc.) of the reconfigurable building structureinto the specific physical configuration that has been determined to besuitable for accommodating physical movement of the item into theportion (e.g., the particular shelf of the kitchen pantry) of thereconfigurable building structure.

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This Summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intendedthat this Summary be used to limit the scope of the claimed subjectmatter. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited toimplementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in any part ofthis disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The Detailed Description is described with reference to the accompanyingfigures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference numberidentifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. Thesame reference numbers in different figures indicate similar oridentical items.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system for automatically modulating aphysical configuration of a reconfigurable building structure toaccommodate for physical dimensions of an item that is going to be movedinto the reconfigurable building structure.

FIG. 2A illustrates an exemplary reconfigurable building structure thatincludes a plurality of movable elements that can be actuated intovarious physical positions to accommodate for physical dimensions ofitems.

FIG. 2B illustrates the exemplary reconfigurable building structure ofFIG. 2A after having been modulated into a different physicalconfiguration than that shown in FIG. 2A for the specific purpose ofaccommodating physical dimensions of a particular item.

FIG. 3A illustrates an exemplary reconfigurable building structure thatincludes one or more movable elements that can be actuated to form oneor more storage compartments.

FIG. 3B illustrates the exemplary reconfigurable building structure ofFIG. 3A after one or more of the movable elements have been actuated toform one or more additional storage compartments.

FIG. 4A illustrates an exemplary reconfigurable building structure thatincludes one or more movable elements that can be actuated in order toadjust a position of one or more items within a particular environment.

FIG. 4B illustrates the exemplary reconfigurable building structure ofFIG. 4A subsequent to at least some of the movable elements having beenactuated in order to adjust a position of the items with respect to theparticular environment.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternate embodiment of an exemplaryreconfigurable building structure that includes movable elements thatcan be actuated in order to adjust a position of one or more itemswithin a building.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example process that may be performed by abuilding structure reconfiguration service to automatically modulate(i.e., controllably adjust) a physical configuration of a reconfigurablebuilding structure.

FIG. 7 shows additional details of an example computer architecture fora computer capable of executing the functionalities described hereinsuch as, for example, those described with reference to thereconfigurable building structure and/or the building structurereconfiguration service, or any program components thereof as describedherein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following Detailed Description describes techniques forautomatically modulating (i.e., controllably adjusting) a physicalconfiguration of a reconfigurable building structure based on a varietyof factors. Generally described, a reconfigurable building structure maybe constructed of physical elements that are movable with respect to oneanother to facilitate actuating the reconfigurable building structurebetween a plurality of different physical configurations. As an example,individual ones of these movable elements may be installed on tracksthat enable these movable elements to slide back and forth. In this way,a physical configuration of the reconfigurable building structure maycontinually adapt based on a variety of factors.

In some embodiments, the physical configuration of a reconfigurablebuilding structure may be adjusted to accommodate for physicaldimensions of an item that is going to be moved into the reconfigurablebuilding structure. For example, a system may receive order dataindicating that an item is going to be delivered to a physical addressin which the reconfigurable building structure is installed. Based onthe item belonging to a specific category of items that are typicallystored within the reconfigurable building structure (e.g., a kitchenpantry) at the physical address, the system may modulate the physicalconfiguration of the reconfigurable building structure to accommodatefor the specific physical dimensions of the item. In this way, upon theitem being delivered to the physical address, the reconfigurablebuilding structure may have already been adjusted to facilitateefficient storage of the item.

In some embodiments, the physical configuration of a reconfigurablebuilding structure may be adjusted to modulate a physical placement ofan item with respect to a surrounding environment. For example, a systemmay receive item placement data defining parameters for raising and/orlowering a shelf within a grocery store isle at various times throughouta day. In this way, the system may automatically adjust a physicalproduct placement for one or more specific types and/or brands of goodswith respect to customers whom are shopping at the grocery store. Forexample, a first brand of a carbonated beverage (e.g., soda) may besupported on a shelf at a “premium” product placement height for a firsthalf of a day but may then be raised upward to enable a second brand'scarbonated beverage to be moved up into the “premium” product placementheight for a remainder of the day.

Although a variety of physical forms are contemplated herein, exemplaryreconfigurable building structures are typically constructed of physicalelements that are movable with respect to one another to facilitateactuating the reconfigurable building structure between a plurality ofdifferent physical configurations. For example, the movable elements maybe installed on tracks that enable the movable elements to slideback-and-forth. As another example, the movable elements may beinstalled on hinges that enable the movable elements to swingclockwise-and-counterclockwise. A system that controls the currentphysical configuration of a particular reconfigurable building structuremay continually or periodically make a determination as to anappropriate physical configuration for that particular reconfigurablebuilding structure based on a variety of relevant factors—which mayfluctuate or vary over time. For example, a reconfigurable kitchenpantry may be instructed to adjust a height of a particular shelf-spacein order to accommodate for a height-dimension of an item that is goingto be delivered in the near future. As another example, a reconfigurablegrocery store shelf may be instructed to adjust a height at which aparticular brand and/or type of good is displayed depending on factorssuch as what the current time of day is, whether a higher bid has beenplaced for “premium” product placement, etc. Thus, as various relevantfactors change over time, the reconfigurable building structuresdescribed herein may be periodically actuated into an appropriatephysical configuration. In this way, a physical configuration of thereconfigurable building structure may continually adapt as the variousrelevant factors change over time.

Turning now to FIG. 1 , illustrated is an exemplary system 100 forautomatically modulating a physical configuration of a reconfigurablebuilding structure 124 to accommodate for physical dimensions of an item140 that is going to be moved into the reconfigurable building structure124. The specific scenario that is illustrated in FIG. 1 corresponds toone or more physical characteristics (e.g., dimensions) of thereconfigurable building structure 124 being adjusted so that an item 140that has been ordered for delivery to a physical address 142 can bephysically moved into a portion of the reconfigurable building structure124 upon being delivered. As a specific example, the reconfigurablebuilding structure 124 may be a kitchen pantry having one or moremovable shelves that can be actuated for the purpose of controlling aheight of a shelf-space (e.g., so that a large can of food can fit inthe shelf-space for storage). As another example, the reconfigurablebuilding structure 124 may be an entrance hallway having one or morewalls that can be actuated to control a width of the entrance hallway(e.g., so that a couch can be carried through the entrance hallway intoa living space).

The specifically illustrated scenario of FIG. 1 is shown for exemplarypurposes only due to being suitable to adequately convey variousconcepts of the technologies described herein. This specific scenario isnot intended to be limiting and it should be immediately apparent fromboth of the foregoing and the following discussion that many otherscenarios are within the scope of the present disclosure.

As illustrated, the system 100 includes a building structurereconfiguration service 102 that operates a configuration selectionengine 114 to generate configuration instruction(s) 144. Theconfiguration instruction(s) 144 are generated for the specific purposeof modulating a physical configuration of a reconfigurable buildingstructure 124. Here, the building structure reconfiguration service 102is illustrated as an external service that communicates with thereconfigurable building structure 124 via a controller 126. Thecontroller 126 may be a general-purpose or special-purpose computer thatis installed within the reconfigurable building structure 124. Asillustrated, the building structure reconfiguration service 102 mayoperate as a cloud-based service that periodically transmitsconfiguration instructions 144 over one or more networks to thereconfigurable building structure 124. Alternatively, the buildingstructure reconfiguration service 102 may be a logical component that isexecuted, by the controller 126, locally at the reconfigurable buildingstructure 124. In some embodiments, individual configurationinstructions 144 may define one or more parameters associated with howthe reconfigurable building structure 124 is to move from oneconfiguration into another configuration. As a specific but non-limitingexample, a configuration instruction 144 may define one or more of anacceleration with which to move a particular movable element (e.g.,accelerate a shelf at 1 m/s²) from a resting state to a steady statevelocity and/or a deceleration with which to slow the particular movableelement from the steady state velocity back to a resting state in an newphysical configuration.

In the illustrated embodiment, the building structure reconfigurationservice 102 stores (or otherwise has access to) configuration data 104that defines various physical configurations associated with thereconfigurable building structure 124. In plain terms, individual onesof these physical configurations (e.g., into which the reconfigurablebuilding structure 124 may be actuated) correspond to specific relativepositions between various movable elements 128 of the reconfigurablebuilding structure 124. For example, as illustrated, the reconfigurablebuilding structure 124 includes a first movable element 128(1), a secondmovable element 128(2), and a third movable element 128(3). As furtherillustrated, the reconfigurable building structure 124 includes aplurality of actuators 130 that may be activated (e.g., caused to changein size and/or shape) by the controller 126 to adjust a relativeposition between two or more of the movable elements 128. Although theactuators 130 are illustrated in FIG. 1 to resemble hydraulic cylindertype actuators, the actuators 130 may take any suitable form and utilizeany suitable energy source (e.g., hydraulic, pneumatic, electric,magnetic, and/or mechanical).

The configuration data 104 may define movable element identifiers (IDs)106 that uniquely identify individual ones of the movable elements 128.For example, a first movable element ID may be uniquely assigned to thefirst movable element 128(1), a second movable element ID may beuniquely assigned to the second movable element 128(2), and so on. Themovable element IDs 106 may be usable by the building structurereconfiguration service 102 and/or the controller 126 to monitor acurrent physical configuration of the reconfigurable building structure124. For example, the building structure reconfiguration service 102 maymaintain a record of how specific actuators 130 that correspond to oneor more specific movable element IDs have been caused to change in shapeand/or size. Then, based on this record of how the specific actuators130 have changed in shape and/or size, the building structurereconfiguration service 102 may ascertain the current physicalconfiguration of the reconfigurable building structure 124. As anotherexample, individual ones of the actuators 130 may be equipped withlinear and/or rotary encoders to track a speed and a position of a motorshaft. Here, based on a current reading from one or more encoders, thebuilding structure reconfiguration service 102 may ascertain the currentphysical configuration of the reconfigurable building structure 124.

The configuration data 104 may also define movable element positions 108for individual ones of the movable elements 128. In plain terms, themovable element positions 108 are discrete positions and/or ranges ofpositions into which individual ones of the movable elements 128 may becontrollably actuated. The movable element positions 108 for anindividual movable element 128 may be defined with respect to one ormore other movable elements 128. For example, in the illustratedscenario, one or more discrete movable element positions 108 or a rangeof movable element positions may be defined for the second movableelement 128(2) with respect to the first movable element 128(1). In suchan example, these movable element position(s) 108 are indicative of aheight for a shelf-space that is bound by a top surface of the firstmovable element 128(1) and a bottom surface of the second movableelement 128(2). Additionally, or alternatively, the movable elementpositions 108 for an individual movable element 128 may be defined withrespect to one or more static or non-movable components of thereconfigurable building structure 124. For example, in the illustratedscenario, one or more movable element positions 108 may be defined forthe first movable element 128(1) with respect to a floor.

The configuration data 104 may also define configuration dimensions 110associated with various physical configurations of the reconfigurablebuilding structure 124. The configuration dimensions 110 define physicaldimensions between surfaces of the reconfigurable building structure124. Implementations of the techniques described herein controllablymodulate these physical dimensions between surfaces of thereconfigurable building structure 124 by actuating one or more movableelements 128 into different ones of the movable element positions 108.As a specific example, the configuration dimensions 110 may define aheight of the third movable element 128(3) above a floor when each ofthe first movable element 128(1) through the third movable element128(3) are actuated into specific positions as defined within themovable element positions 108. Then, if some particular condition isidentified (e.g., an order is placed for a large item) and thiscondition indicates that causing the third movable element 128(3) to belocated at the defined height above the floor is appropriate, then aconfiguration instruction 144 may be sent to the controller 126 toactivate the actuators 130 as needed to reposition the third movableelement 128(3) to this height.

In various embodiments, the configuration selection engine 114 stores orotherwise has access to setup parameters 116 that may be defined inorder to control how the reconfigurable building structure 124 is to bemodulated through its available physical configurations based on variousrelevant factors or conditions. The setup parameters 116 may be definedby a manufacturer of the reconfigurable building structure 124.Additionally, or alternatively, the setup parameters 116 may be definedby an end user that is utilizing the reconfigurable building structure124 at the physical address 142 (e.g., home residence, commercialbuilding, etc.). The setup parameters 116 may define one or morepreferred physical configurations for the reconfigurable buildingstructure 124 and may further define specific conditions under which thebuilding structure reconfiguration service 102 is to modulate thereconfigurable building structure 124 into specific ones of the one ormore preferred physical configurations.

As a specific but non-limiting example, suppose that setup parameters116 that are defined in association with the reconfigurable buildingstructure 124 indicate that when a certain type of caustic cleaningagent is present at the physical address 142, the preferred storagelocation for this caustic cleaning agent is on top of the third movableelement 128(3) at a height of seven feet off the ground (e.g., to keepthe caustic agent away from children). Under these circumstances, upondetecting that a delivery of the caustic cleaning agent is about tooccur (e.g., will occur within some threshold time frame), theconfiguration selection engine 114 may determine based on the setupparameters 116 that the third movable element 128(3) should be actuatedto a height of seven feet off the ground. Then, based on thisdetermination, the configuration selection engine 114 may analyze theconfiguration dimensions 110 to identify a suitable physicalconfiguration in which the third movable element 128(3) is seven feetoff the ground. Ultimately, the configuration selection engine 114 maythen generate a configuration instruction 144 to actuate thereconfigurable building structure 124 into the identified physicalconfiguration.

In some embodiments, the reconfigurable building structure 124 may haveone or more sensors 131 installed therein in order to monitor variousconditions associated with the reconfigurable building structure 124.The sensors 131 may include, but are not limited to, one or more camerasand/or Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) detection systems that aredirected toward the reconfigurable building structure 124 and are usableto detect current conditions thereof. As a specific example, the sensors131 may include a LiDAR detection system that is pointed at variousshelf-spaces that are formed by the reconfigurable building structure124. This LiDAR detection system to continuously and/or periodicallydetect the physical dimensions of items that are currently stored withinthe reconfigurable building structure 124. In this specific example, theinformation (e.g., sensor data) collected by the LiDAR detection systemmay be used by the configuration selection engine 114 to ensure that aselected physical configuration (e.g., into which the reconfigurablebuilding structure 124 is to be modulated to accommodate for an item 140that is going to be delivered) does not conflict with physicaldimensions of items that are already being stored within thereconfigurable building structure 124. Furthermore, in the event that anitem has been ordered (or is about to be ordered) that will not fitwithin the reconfigurable building structure 124 due to conflicts withitems that are already being stored within the reconfigurable buildingstructure 124, a notification may be sent to a user device 132 to informa person of the identified conflict. For example, suppose that areconfigurable building structure 124 is in the form of a kitchen pantryand that a specific portion of this kitchen pantry is designated forstoring large jugs of cooking oil. Further suppose, that this portion iscurrently being used to store a maximum number of these large jugs ofcooking oil. Under these circumstances, the building structurereconfiguration service 102 may communicate with the sensor(s) 131 toidentify that the maximum number of these large jugs of cooking oil arealready being stored—and therefore that there is no additional roomwithin the specific portion of this kitchen pantry for any more jugs tobe inserted. Here, if the building structure reconfiguration service 102receives order data 136 indicating that an order has been placed for ajug of oil which cannot fit into the specific portion of the kitchenpantry, a pop-up style notification may be sent to the user device 132to specifically inform a consumer (whom is generating the order) of theconflict. In this way, the consumer is provided with highly relevantinformation as to a current state of a reconfigurable building structure124 at a time that facilitates the consumer to make informed purchasingdecisions.

In various embodiments, the configuration selection engine 114 may storeor otherwise have access to item category data 118 that defines typesand/or categories of goods that are to be stored within thereconfigurable building structure 124 upon being delivered to thephysical address 142. In this way, the building structurereconfiguration service 102 may identify when particular items have beenordered that will be stored within the reconfigurable building structure124 upon being delivered to the physical address 142. Then, in responseto identifying when such items will be delivered, the building structurereconfiguration service 102 may adjust the physical configuration of thereconfigurable building structure 124 accordingly. For example, supposethat the reconfigurable building structure 124 is a kitchen pantry thatin its current physical configuration will not fit a large can that isscheduled to be delivered to the physical address 142. In this example,responsive to identifying that this scheduled delivery and the itemdimensions, the building structure reconfiguration service 102 maymodulate a physical configuration of the kitchen pantry (e.g., byraising and/or lowering shelves via the actuators 130) so that the largecan will fit onto a particular shelf-space. In contrast, when otheritems are ordered that will also be delivered to the physical address142 but which are not of the specific types and/or categories of goodsthat are to be stored within the reconfigurable building structure 124,the building structure reconfiguration service 102 may refrain frommodulating a physical configuration of the reconfigurable buildingstructure 124.

In some embodiments, the configuration selection engine 114 may utilizethe sensor(s) 131 to observe how the reconfigurable building structure124 is being used at the physical address 142 over a particular range oftime. For example, the sensor(s) 131 may include a camera that generatesimages which may be analyzed by the configuration selection engine 114to identify the specific types and/or categories of goods that are beingstored within the reconfigurable building structure 124. Then, theconfiguration selection engine 114 may update the item category data 118to include definitions for specific types and/or categories of itemsthat are likely to be stored within the reconfigurable buildingstructure 124. Additionally, or alternatively, the configurationselection engine 114 may update the item category data 118 to includedefinitions for specific types and/or categories of items that areunlikely to be stored within the reconfigurable building structure 124.Then, as various categories of items are ordered for delivery to thephysical address 142, the building reconfiguration service 102 maydetermine whether a delivery of the ordered good warrants any sort ofmodulation of the physical configuration of the reconfigurable buildingstructure 124.

In various embodiments, the configuration selection engine 114 may alsostore or otherwise have access to item dimension data 120 that definesphysical dimensions for one or more items that are currently locatedwithin the reconfigurable building structure 124 and/or are scheduledfor delivery to the reconfigurable building structure 124. For example,with respect to items that are currently located within thereconfigurable building structure 124, the configuration selectionengine 114 may utilize the sensors to keep track of the quantity and/orphysical dimensions of those items which are currently being storedwithin the reconfigurable building structure 124. As another example,and with respect to items that are scheduled for delivery to thereconfigurable building structure 124, the configuration selectionengine 114 may analyze order data 136 associated with the item 140 toidentify specifications for the item 140. These specifications mayinclude, for example, weight, height, width, and so on.

With respect to the data flow scenario that is illustrated in FIG. 1 ,the building structure reconfiguration service 102 is shown to receiveorder data 136 that corresponds to an online order being placed for anitem 140. In some instances, the order data 136 may be generated basedon a user interacting with a commerce app 134 that is installed on auser device 132. An exemplary commerce app 134 may be a smart phoneapplication that corresponds to a specific retailer. Such a smart phoneapplication may provide a user with search functionality with respect toa product catalog of the specific retailer. Such a smart phoneapplication may also store one or more forms of payment information(e.g., credit card numbers, etc.) to enable a user to quickly placeorders for items to be delivered to the physical address 142.

As illustrated, in addition to being provided to the building structurereconfiguration service 102, the order data 136 may also be provided toa fulfillment center 138 upon being generated via the user device 132.The fulfillment center 138 may process the order data 136 appropriatelyto fulfill the order which has been placed. Processing the order data136 may include, for example, identifying a particular item 140 that hasbeen purchased and also a particular physical address 142 to which theparticular item 140 is to be delivered. Then, the particular item 140may be shipped from the fulfillment center 138 to the physical address142 in accordance with one or more preferred delivery methods.

In some embodiments, receipt of the order data 136 may serve as anindication that the item 140 is going to be physically moved into thereconfigurable building structure 124. For example, the order data 136may indicate that the particular item 140 that has been ordered belongsto a specific category of items that is known (or presumed) to be storedin the reconfigurable building structure 124. For illustrative purposes,suppose that the reconfigurable building structure 124 is a kitchenpantry and that the item 140 for which the online order has been placedis included within a nonperishable canned foods category. Furthersuppose that the setup parameters 116 associated with the reconfigurablebuilding structure 124 indicate that upon receipt of nonperishablecanned foods at the physical address 142 (which may be, for example, auser's residence), these types of items are in all (or nearly allinstances) placed into the kitchen pantry for storage. Thus, in thisspecific example, receiving the order data 136 for the item 140 that isincluded within the nonperishable canned foods category may serve as theindication that the item 140 is to be physically moved into thereconfigurable building structure 124.

Upon identifying the particular item 140 for which the order has beenplaced, the building structure reconfiguration service 102 may thendetermine corresponding item dimension data 120 that defines one or morephysical dimensions of the particular item 140. For example, thebuilding structure reconfiguration service 102 may analyze the orderdata 136 to identify product specifications that include the one or morephysical dimensions of the particular item 140. Based on the itemdimension data 120, the building structure reconfiguration service 102may utilize the configuration data 104 to determine a particularphysical configuration of the reconfigurable building structure 124 thatis suitable for accommodating physical movement of the particular item140 into a portion of the reconfigurable building structure 124.Continuing with the example where the reconfigurable building structure124 is a kitchen pantry, the building structure reconfiguration service102 may determine a particular physical configuration of the kitchenpantry in which a particular shelf has a height that is large enough forthe particular item 140 to be physically placed onto the particularshelf for storage.

Then, once the particular physical configuration is determined, thebuilding structure reconfiguration service 102 may transmit aconfiguration instruction 144 to the controller 126 to cause actuationof at least some of the movable physical elements 128 to change therelative positions of the various surfaces of the reconfigurablebuilding structure 124. In particular, one or more of the movableelements 128 (e.g., shelves, walls, etc.) may be actuated in aparticular manner so as to modulate the reconfigurable buildingstructure 124 into a particular physical configuration that is suitablefor accommodating physical movement of the particular item 140 into theportion (e.g., the particular shelf of the kitchen pantry) of thereconfigurable building structure 124. In the specifically illustratedbut nonlimiting example, the configuration instruction 144 causes thesecond movable element 128(2) to be actuated upwards from an initialheight of H₀ that is not high enough for the particular item 140 to fitto an appropriate height of H₁ that is high enough for the particularitem 140 to fit. In this way, upon the particular item 140 beingdelivered to the physical address 142, the building structurereconfiguration service 102 may cause the reconfigurable buildingstructure 124 to change into a suitable physical configuration for theparticular item 140 to be stacked into the reconfigurable buildingstructure 124 for storage purposes.

In some embodiments, the building structure reconfiguration service 102may monitor delivery tracking data 112 associated with a delivery of theparticular item 140. For example, the building structure reconfigurationservice 102 may analyze the order data 136 to identify a parcel trackingnumber that is usable to monitor real-time tracking updates associatedwith delivery of the particular item 140 to the physical address 142. Inthis way, the building structure reconfiguration service 102 determinewhen the particular item 140 is going to be delivered to the physicaladdress 142 and may transmit the configuration instruction 144 to thecontroller 126 prior to the particular item 140 being delivered. In thisway, upon delivery of the particular item 140, the reconfigurablebuilding structure 124 may have already been caused to enter thesuitable physical configuration so that the particular item 140 canimmediately be moved into the reconfigurable building structure 124.

Turning now to FIG. 2A, illustrated is an exemplary reconfigurablebuilding structure 200 that includes a plurality of movable elements 202that can be actuated into various physical positions to accommodate forphysical dimensions of items. More specifically, the reconfigurablebuilding structure 200 includes six movable elements 202 that are eachconfigured to be independently actuated along a set of tracks 204. Here,a first movable element is labeled 202(1), a second movable element islabeled 202(2), and so on. Also, a first track is labeled 204(1), asecond track is labeled 204(2), and so on. With respect to the movableelements 202 being independently actuated, each individual movableelement 202 can be raised and/or lowered along the set of tracks 204independently of the other movable elements 202. The reconfigurablebuilding structure 200 may also include a controller 206 for causingcontrolled movements of the movable elements 202. For example, thecontroller 206 may activate individual actuators to cause individualones of the movable elements 202 to be raised and/or lowered along thetracks 204.

In the illustrated embodiment, individual ones of the movable elements202 are individual shelfs upon which one or more items 212 be storedwithin the reconfigurable building structure 200. For example, thereconfigurable building structure 200 may be in the form of a bookshelf,a kitchen pantry, or any other type of shelving unit. It will beappreciated that the height of a particular shelf-space (i.e., usablevolume between shelves) will be defined by a distance between a topsurface of one shelf and a bottom surface of another adjacent shelf. Forexample, an initial height H₀ of a shelf-space 208 is defined by a topsurface of the first shelf 202(1) and a bottom surface of the secondshelf 202(2) that is directly above the first shelf 202(1).

In some embodiments, the controller 206 may be communicatively coupledto one or more sensors 210 to monitor conditions and/or common usesassociated with the reconfigurable building structure 200. The sensors210 may include, but are not limited to, cameras, computer visionsensors, light-gate type sensors, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)sensors, and/or any other type of sensor suitable for detecting variousrelevant current conditions and/or common uses associated with thereconfigurable building structure 200.

As a specific example of monitoring current conditions of thereconfigurable building structure 200, a first sensor 210(1) may be aLight Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor that is directed toward theinside of the reconfigurable building structure 200 to continuouslyand/or periodically detect physical dimensions of items that arecurrently within the various portions of the reconfigurable buildingstructure 200. Sensor data that is generated by the first sensor 210(1)may be analyzed by the controller 206 to identify physical dimensions ofone or more existing items 212 that are already within thereconfigurable building structure 200. For example, the controller 206may analyze the sensor data generated by the first sensor 210(1) todetermine specific physical dimensions for each of the first existingitem 212(1) through the fourteenth existing item 212(14). Additionally,or alternatively, the sensor data that is generated by the first sensor210(1) may be analyzed by the controller 206 to identify a currentphysical arrangement of the one or more existing items 212 within thereconfigurable building structure 200. In the illustrated scenario, forexample, the controller 206 may identify that each of the first existingitem 212(1) through the fourth existing item 212(4) are currently beingstored on the sixth movable element 202(6), that each of the fifthexisting item 212(5) through the ninth existing item 212(9) arecurrently being stored on the third movable element 202(3), and so on.The controller 206 may further identify that each of the fifth movableelement 202(5) and the fourth movable element 202(4) do not currentlyhave any items being stored thereon. As described below in relation toFIG. 2B, a determination as to whether an identified event warrantsmodulating the reconfigurable building structure 200 into a differentphysical configuration (and/or what that physical configuration shouldbe) may be based at least in part on the current conditions of thereconfigurable building structure 200—as detected by a sensor 210.

As a specific example of monitoring common use cases associated with thereconfigurable building structure 200, a second sensor 210(2) may be acamera that periodically generates images of how the reconfigurablebuilding structure 200 is being used. For example, images may becaptured by the second sensor 210(2) and analyzed by the controller 206and/or the configuration selection engine 114 (as discussed in relationto FIG. 1 ) to identify the specific types and/or categories of itemsthat are being stored on the various movable elements 202 of thefavorable building structure 200. Then, based on this analysis, the itemcategory data 118 may be updated to include definitions for specifictypes and/or categories of items that are likely to be stored within thereconfigurable building structure 200 and/or on specific movableelements 202 thereof. Additionally, or alternatively, the item categorydata 118 to be updated to include definitions for specific types and/orcategories of items that are unlikely to be stored within thereconfigurable building structure 200 and/or on specific movableelements 202 thereof. As described below in relation to FIG. 2B, theitem category data 118 that is been updated based on the sensor data(e.g. images) generated by the second sensor 210(2) may be used todetermine whether an identified event warrants modulating thereconfigurable building structure 200 into a different physicalconfiguration.

FIG. 2B illustrates the exemplary reconfigurable building structure 200of FIG. 2A after having been modulated into a different physicalconfiguration than that shown in FIG. 2A. More specifically, FIG. 2Billustrates a physical configuration of the exemplary reconfigurablebuilding structure 200 in which each of the second movable element202(2) through the fifth movable element 202(5) have been actuatedupwards along the tracks 204 so as to increase the height of theshelf-space 208 from the initial height H₀ that is shown in FIG. 2A to arelatively greater height of H₁.

As described above, the reconfigurable building structure 200 beingmodulated into the different physical configuration may be triggeredbased on an indication that one or more specific items 214 are going tobe moved into the reconfigurable building structure 200. For example, asdescribed in relation to FIG. 1 , order data 136 may be received thatidentifies one or more specific items 214 that have been ordered fordelivery to a physical address 142 associated with the reconfigurablebuilding structure 200. Upon receipt of the order data 136, one or moresystem components (e.g., the building structure reconfiguration service102) may determine whether the specific items 214 that had been orderedare of a type and/or class of items that are presumed to be storedwithin the reconfigurable building structure 200. For example, thesystem component(s) may analyze the order data 136 to identify the typesand/or classes of the specific items 214 that have been ordered and maythen compare these identified types and/or classes to the item categorydata 118.

Then, if it is determined that the specific items 214 are destined forstorage within the reconfigurable building structure 200, the systemcomponent(s) may analyze the current conditions of the reconfigurablebuilding structure 200 to determine whether the order for the specificitems 214 is a sufficient cause for modulating a physical configurationof the reconfigurable building structure 200. To illustrate this point,FIG. 2B shows that a first specific item 214(1) is too tall to have fitwithin the shelf-space 208 when this shelf-space had the initial heightof H₀—as shown in FIG. 2A. However, as shown in FIG. 2B, the firstspecific item 214(1) comfortably fits within the shelf-space 208 aftereach of the second movable element 202(2) through the fifth movableelement 202(5) have been actuated upwards along the set of tracks 204 toincrease the height of the shelf-space 208 to the relatively greaterheight of H₁.

Turning now to FIG. 3A, illustrated is an exemplary reconfigurablebuilding structure 300 that includes one or more movable elements 302that can be actuated to form one or more storage compartments 304. Inthe illustrated example, the one or more movable elements 302 have beenactuated into a particular physical configuration such that eightindividual storage compartments 304 are formed. In FIG. 3A, fiveindividual ones of these eight storage compartments 304 are shown asbeing currently used to store an individual item 306, where's theremaining three storage compartments remain empty.

In some embodiments, the setup parameters 116 may indicate a particulartype and/or category of item that is to be stored within the storagecompartments 304. As a specific but nonlimiting example, the setupparameters 116 may indicate that the storage compartments 304 are to beused for storing wine bottles. Consistent with this specific example,FIG. 3A shows five individual wine bottles each being stored within anindividual one of the eight storage compartments 304 that are formed inthe illustrated physical configuration. In the specific scenarioillustrated in FIG. 3A, since there are three empty storage compartments304 it should be appreciated that three additional items of theparticular type indicated in the setup parameters 116 (e.g., winebottles) can be properly stored within the reconfigurable buildingstructure 300 without causing any change to its physical configuration.Thus, in the event that order data 136 is received indicating that anorder has been placed that includes three additional wine bottles, adetermination may be made that this particular order does not warrantcausing any actuation of the one or more movable elements 302. Incontrast, in the event that an order has been placed for more than threeadditional wine bottles, an alternate determination may be made thatthis particular order does warrant causing actuation of one or moremovable elements 302 to expose additional storage compartments 304. Itshould also be appreciated that as described above one or more sensorsmay be utilized to determine current conditions of the reconfigurablebuilding structure 300 including, but not limited to, how many items arecurrently being stored within the currently exposed storage compartments304. For example, one or more of the sensors 210 may be utilized todetermine how many wine bottles are currently being stored within thecurrently formed storage compartments 304.

FIG. 3B illustrates the exemplary reconfigurable building structure 300of FIG. 3A after one or more of the movable elements 302 have beenactuated to form one or more additional storage compartments 304. Morespecifically, in FIG. 3B each of the second movable element 302(2) andof the third movable element 302(3) have been moved upwards to formeight additional storage compartments 304. With the addition of theeight storage compartments 304 that have been newly formed via theactuation of the second movable element 302(2) and third movable element302(3), in FIG. 3B the reconfigurable building structure 300 is shown ina specific physical configuration that includes 16 storage compartments304.

In some embodiments, a configuration instruction 144 to cause actuationof the reconfigurable building structure 300 from the initial physicalconfiguration shown in FIG. 3A to the new physical configuration shownin FIG. 3B may be generated based on a variety of relevant conditions.For illustrative purposes, presume that the setup parameters 116indicate that individual ones of the storage compartments 304 areexclusively for storing wine bottles. Under these specific butnonlimiting circumstances, one relevant condition for exposingadditional storage compartments 304 as shown in FIG. 3B may be that anindication is received that additional wine bottles are to be deliveredto a physical address associated with building structure 300. Furtherpresume that the reconfigurable building structure 300 is outfitted withone or more sensors to continually monitor some relevant informationsuch as, for example, a number of storage compartments 304 that arecurrently exposed and in use for storage and/or a number of storagecompartments that are currently exposed but remain empty. Under thesespecific but nonlimiting circumstances, another relevant condition forexposing additional storage compartments 304 as shown in FIG. 3B may bethat a quantity of additional wine bottles that have been ordered fordelivery exceed a number of storage compartments 304 that are currentlyexposed but remain empty. Thus, it can be appreciated that relevantfactors for determining whether a reconfigurable building structure 300should be modulated into a new physical configuration may include anindication of whether a particular type and/or category of item has beenordered for delivery to a particular physical address and/or a quantityof items of the particular type and/or category that have been ordered.

Turning now to FIG. 4A, illustrated is an exemplary reconfigurablebuilding structure 400 that includes one or more movable elements 402that can be actuated in order to adjust a position of one or more items404 within a particular environment. In the illustrated example, eachindividual movable element 402 is shown to be supporting a particulartype of item 404 that is in some way distinguishable from the otheritems 404 being supported on the other movable elements 402. Morespecifically, a first movable element 402(1) is shown to be supporting afirst type of item 404 labeled “A,” a second movable element 402(2) isshown to be supporting a second type of item 404 labeled “B,” and athird movable element 402(3) is shown to be supporting a third type ofitem 404 labeled “C.” In some instances, these different types of itemsmay be similar in classification but different in brand or some otherrelevant attribute. For example, each different type of item may belongto a carbonated beverage (e.g., soda) classification but may bedifferent brands of carbonated beverage and/or flavor of carbonatedbeverage. In some instances, these different types of items may differin classification. For example, the first type of item that is labeled“A” may belong to the carbonated beverage classification whereas thesecond type of item that is labeled “B” may belong to a fresh squeezedjuice classification.

Turning now to FIG. 4B, illustrated is the exemplary reconfigurablebuilding structure 400 of FIG. 4A subsequent to at least some of the oneor more movable elements 402 having been actuated in order to adjust aposition of one or more of the items 404 with respect to the particularenvironment. In the illustrated example, each individual movable element402 has been moved upward along one or more tracks 406 in order to raisea height of each of the different types of items. It will be appreciatedthat the reconfigurable building structure 400 is shown in a suitableform to serve as shelving within a retail facility such as, for example,a grocery store, a hardware store, and so on.

In some embodiments, the one or more movable elements 402 may beactuated to adjust a positioning of the different types of items 404based on product placement parameters. For example, product placementparameters may define specific times of day during which specific typesof items (e.g., brands of items, classifications of items, etc.) are tobe maintained by the reconfigurable building structure 400 at differentpositions. To illustrate this point, suppose that the first type of itemthat is labeled “A” and the second type of item that is labeled “B” aretwo competing brands of carbonated soda. In such an instance, it can beappreciated that these two competing brands may likely submit competingbids for “premium” product placement locations within a grocery storefacility. Thus, in various implementations, these competing bids may beanalyzed or otherwise utilized by the configuration selection engine 114to determine specific positions to maintain specific types of items.Additionally, or alternatively, these competing bids may be analyzed orotherwise utilized to determine specific times (e.g., specific ranges oftimes within a single day, specific days within a week, specific weekswithin a year, etc.) during which the specific items are to bemaintained at specifically determined positions.

In some embodiments, the one or more movable elements 402 may beactuated to adjust a positioning of the different types of items 404based on data that uniquely corresponds to a particular person. Forexample, the reconfigurable building structure 400 may be equipped witha sensor 410 to perform one or more user identification techniques toidentify when a particular person approaches the reconfigurable buildingstructure 400. For purposes of the present discussion, presume that thereconfigurable building structure 400 is an automated grocery store isleand that the sensor 410 is specifically adapted to perform facialrecognition techniques to identify when uniquely identifiable personsapproach the reconfigurable building structure 400. Then, uponidentifying the particular person, the building structurereconfiguration service 102 described herein may obtain profile dataassociated with this particular person 408. The profile data mayinclude, for example, general demographic information (e.g., age,gender, etc.), specific user profile information (e.g., shopping lists,purchase history data, etc.), and/or any other types of data suitablefor profiling a particular person and/or generalized group of persons.

In this example, in response to identifying that the particular person408 is approaching the reconfigurable building structure 400 (which inthis case is the grocery isle), the profile data associated with theparticular person 408 may be retrieved and utilized to determine anappropriate physical configuration into which the reconfigurablebuilding structure 400 should be modulated. To illustrate this point,suppose that the profile data associated with the particular person 408includes a grocery list which the particular person 408 has compiledprior to entering the grocery store. Then, as the particular person 408approaches the reconfigurable building structure 400, one or more of themovable elements 402 may be raised and/or lowered for the specificpurpose moving particular items 404 that are on the grocery list intoconspicuous and/or ergonomic locations with respect to the particularuser 408. For example, as the particular person approaches thereconfigurable building structure 400, the first type of item that islabeled “A” may be automatically raised to a suitable height so that theparticular person 408 will easily spot the item and can also grab theitem without ending over or reaching upwards.

Turning now to FIG. 5 , illustrated is an alternate embodiment of anexemplary reconfigurable building structure 500 that includes movableelements 502 that can be actuated in order to adjust a position of oneor more items 504 within a building (e.g., a fulfillment center). In theillustrated embodiment, the movable elements 502 are configured to beactuated back-and-forth along one or more tracks 506 that extend in apredefined direction as indicated by the arrow 508. As illustrated, themovable elements 502 are illustrated in the form of shelving units. Forexample, a second movable element 502(2) is illustrated in the form of ashelving unit that is supporting both of a first item 504(1) that islabeled “A” and a second item 504(2) that is labeled “B.” It will beappreciated that since the second movable element 502(2) is supportingthese items, actuating the second movable element 502(2) along thetracks 506 is an effective way to controllably move the position ofthese items within the building.

In some embodiments, the building structure reconfiguration service 102is configured to (e.g., includes computing executable instructions to)modulate current positions of the movable elements 502 to adjustpositions of the items 504 with respect to a predefined area 512 of thebuilding. Furthermore, the building structure reconfiguration service102 may be configured to determine how and when to modulate the currentpositions of the movable elements 502 based on order data 136. Forexample, suppose that the person 510 is an employee at the fulfillmentcenter 138 and that the employee is tasked with collecting a set ofitems 504 that is defined by the order data 136. Further suppose that afirst subset of these items 504 are stored within the second movableelement 502(2) and a second subset of these items 504 are stored withinthe eighth movable element 502(8). In such an example, the person 510may be instructed to stand within the predefined area 512 while thebuilding structure reconfiguration service 102 causes the reconfigurablebuilding structure 500 to become physically configured as illustrated inFIG. 5 where the first movable element 502(1) and the second movableelement 502(2) are specifically repositioned to form an openingtherebetween. As further illustrated, this opening that is formedbetween the first movable element 502(1) and the second movable element502(2) is shown to be positioned in direct alignment with thepredetermined area 512. In this way, upon the reconfigurable buildingstructure 500 being physically configured as shown, the person 510 isable to walk a short distance into the opening between the first andsecond movable elements to retrieve the first subset of items that isstored within the second movable element 504(2).

Then, the building structure reconfiguration service 102 may determine(e.g., via one or more sensors 514) when the person 510 returns to thepredefined area 512. Responsive to this determination, the buildingstructure reconfiguration service 102 may again modulate the currentpositions of the movable elements 502 into a different physicalconfiguration in which a new opening is formed between the seventhmovable element 502(7) and the eighth movable element 502(8). Similar tothe opening shown in FIG. 5 , this new opening between the seventh andeighth movable elements may be positioned in direct alignment with thepredetermined area 512 so that the person 510 can walk directly into thenewly formed opening from the same predetermined area 512 from which thepreviously formed opening between the first and second movable elementswas formed. In this way, the person 510 is able to retrieve both thefirst subset of items 504 and the second subset of items 504 withsubstantially reduced walking requirements as compared to if the person510 had to walk from a “stationary” opening between the first and secondmovable elements 502 to another “stationary” opening between the seventhand eight movable elements 502.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example process 600 that may be performed by thebuilding structure reconfiguration service 102 to automatically modulate(i.e., controllably adjust) a physical configuration of a reconfigurablebuilding structure 124.

At block 601, the building structure reconfiguration service 102identifies a one or more movable elements of the reconfigurable buildingstructure 124. As described above, the one or more movable elements maydefine one or more surfaces of the reconfigurable building structure.Furthermore, individual movable elements of the one or more movableelements are configured to be actuated between multiple differentpositions.

At block 603, the building structure reconfiguration service 102receives configuration data that defines one or more physicalconfigurations of the reconfigurable building structure. For example,the configuration data may define a first configuration in which ashelf-space of the reconfigurable building structure is a first size andalso a second configuration in which this same shelf-space is enlargedto a second size—that is greater than the first size.

At block 605, the building structure reconfiguration service 102receives an indication that an item is going to be physically moved intothe reconfigurable building structure. For example, the indication maycorrespond to receiving order data that indicates that the item has beenordered for delivery to a physical address associated with thereconfigurable building structure.

At block 607, the building structure reconfiguration service 102determines item dimension data that defines the one or more physicaldimensions of the item. For example, the order data may be analyzed toidentify a product ID that uniquely identifies the item. Then, based onthis product ID, the building structure reconfiguration service 102 mayextract the specific dimensions for the item from a retail catalog orother data source that includes information about the item.

At block 609, the building structure reconfiguration service 102determines a particular physical configuration to accommodate the item.For example, a particular physical configuration can be identified inwhich the item will physically fit into a particular portion of thereconfigurable building structure.

At block 611, the building structure reconfiguration service 102 causesactuation of at least some of the plurality of movable elements tomodulate the reconfigurable building structure into the particularphysical configuration.

FIG. 7 shows additional details of an example computer architecture fora computer capable of executing the functionalities described hereinsuch as, for example, those described with reference to thereconfigurable building structure 124 and/or the building structurereconfiguration service 102, or any program components thereof asdescribed herein. Thus, the computer architecture 700 illustrated inFIG. 7 illustrates an architecture for a server computer, or network ofserver computers, or any other types of computing devices suitable forimplementing the functionality described herein. The computerarchitecture 700 may be utilized to execute any aspects of the softwarecomponents presented herein.

The computer architecture 700 illustrated in FIG. 7 includes a centralprocessing unit 702 (“CPU”), a system memory 704, including arandom-access memory 706 (“RAM”) and a read-only memory (“ROM”) 708, anda system bus 710 that couples the memory 704 to the CPU 702. A basicinput/output system containing the basic routines that help to transferinformation between elements within the computer architecture 700, suchas during startup, is stored in the ROM 708. the computer architecture700 further includes a mass storage device 712 for storing an operatingsystem 714, other data, and one or more application programs. the massstorage device 712 may further include one or more of the buildingstructure reconfiguration service 102, the configuration data 104, theconfiguration selection engine 114, and/or the delivery tracking data112.

The mass storage device 712 is connected to the CPU 702 through a massstorage controller (not shown) connected to the bus 710. The massstorage device 712 and its associated computer-readable media providenon-volatile storage for the computer architecture 700. Although thedescription of computer-readable media contained herein refers to a massstorage device, such as a solid-state drive, a hard disk or CD-ROMdrive, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art thatcomputer-readable media can be any available computer storage media orcommunication media that can be accessed by the computer architecture700.

Communication media includes computer readable instructions, datastructures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signalsuch as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes anydelivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that hasone or more of its characteristics changed or set in a manner as toencode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation,communication media includes wired media such as a wired network ordirect-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF,infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of the any of the aboveshould also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

By way of example, and not limitation, computer storage media mayinclude volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable mediaimplemented in any method or technology for storage of information suchas computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules orother data. For example, computer media includes, but is not limited to,RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other solid state memorytechnology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (“DVD”), HD-DVD, BLU-RAY, orother optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic diskstorage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which canbe used to store the desired information and which can be accessed bythe computer architecture 700. For purposes of the claims, the phrase“computer storage medium,” “computer-readable storage medium” andvariations thereof, does not include waves, signals, and/or othertransitory and/or intangible communication media, per se.

According to various techniques, the computer architecture 700 mayoperate in a networked environment using logical connections to remotecomputers through a network 750 and/or another network (not shown inFIG. 7 ). The computer architecture 700 may connect to the network 750through a network interface unit 716 connected to the bus 710. It shouldbe appreciated that the network interface unit 716 also may be utilizedto connect to other types of networks and remote computer systems. Thecomputer architecture 700 also may include an input/output controller718 for receiving and processing input from a number of other devices,including a keyboard, mouse, or electronic stylus (not shown in FIG. 7). Similarly, the input/output controller 718 may provide output to adisplay screen, a printer, or other type of output device (also notshown in FIG. 7 ). It should also be appreciated that via a connectionto the network 750 through a network interface unit 716, the computingarchitecture may enable one or more of the Fulfillment Center 138, theUser Device 132, the Reconfigurable Building Structure 124, and/or theBuilding Structure Reconfiguration Service 102 to communicate with oneanother.

It should be appreciated that the software components described hereinmay, when loaded into the CPU 702 and executed, transform the CPU 702and the overall computer architecture 700 from a general-purposecomputing system into a special-purpose computing system customized tofacilitate the functionality presented herein. The CPU 702 may beconstructed from any number of transistors or other discrete circuitelements, which may individually or collectively assume any number ofstates. More specifically, the CPU 702 may operate as a finite-statemachine, in response to executable instructions contained within thesoftware modules disclosed herein. These computer-executableinstructions may transform the CPU 702 by specifying how the CPU 702transitions between states, thereby transforming the transistors orother discrete hardware elements constituting the CPU 702.

Encoding the software modules presented herein also may transform thephysical structure of the computer-readable media presented herein. Thespecific transformation of physical structure may depend on variousfactors, in different implementations of this description. Examples ofsuch factors may include, but are not limited to, the technology used toimplement the computer-readable media, whether the computer-readablemedia is characterized as primary or secondary storage, and the like.For example, if the computer-readable media is implemented assemiconductor-based memory, the software disclosed herein may be encodedon the computer-readable media by transforming the physical state of thesemiconductor memory. For example, the software may transform the stateof transistors, capacitors, or other discrete circuit elementsconstituting the semiconductor memory. The software also may transformthe physical state of such components in order to store data thereupon.

As another example, the computer-readable media disclosed herein may beimplemented using magnetic or optical technology. In suchimplementations, the software presented herein may transform thephysical state of magnetic or optical media, when the software isencoded therein. These transformations may include altering the magneticcharacteristics of particular locations within given magnetic media.These transformations also may include altering the physical features orcharacteristics of particular locations within given optical media, tochange the optical characteristics of those locations. Othertransformations of physical media are possible without departing fromthe scope and spirit of the present description, with the foregoingexamples provided only to facilitate this discussion.

In light of the above, it should be appreciated that many types ofphysical transformations take place in the computer architecture 700 inorder to store and execute the software components presented herein. Italso should be appreciated that the computer architecture 700 mayinclude other types of computing devices, including hand-held computers,embedded computer systems, personal digital assistants, and other typesof computing devices known to those skilled in the art. It is alsocontemplated that the computer architecture 700 may not include all ofthe components shown in FIG. 7 , may include other components that arenot explicitly shown in FIG. 7 , or may utilize an architecturecompletely different than that shown in FIG. 7 .

The techniques disclosed herein are widely applicable to a variety ofapproaches for automatically modulating a physical configuration of areconfigurable building structure based on various factors. Numerousaspects of the techniques disclosed herein are described in the specificcontext of modulating a physical configuration of shelves based onspecific dimensions of items that have been ordered to a physicaladdress associated with the reconfigurable building structure. While thepresently disclosed techniques are not necessarily limited to suchembodiments, an appreciation of various aspects of the techniquesdisclosed herein is readily gained through a discussion of examples inthis specific context of adjusting shelves to “fit” items that are aboutto be delivered. However, the disclosed techniques are widely applicablenumerous other scenarios where it may be desirable to modulate aphysical configuration of a building.

As a specific but non-limiting example, the building structurereconfiguration service 102 described herein may be deployed to modulatea physical configuration of one or more building structures that areconstructed, in whole or in part, from a plurality of individual roboticelements. To illustrate this point, suppose that a reconfigurable tablestructure is constructed from a set of one-hundred (“100”) individualrobotic elements. Further suppose that in a first configuration, atable-top portion of the reconfigurable table structure is made up offifty (“50”) of the individual robotic elements and that four legs ofthe reconfigurable table structure are, in the aggregate, made up of theremaining fifty (“50”) of the individual robotic elements. Thus, if eachindividual robotic element is a 5-inch cube, then it can be appreciatedthat the table-top portion of the reconfigurable table structure may be1250 square inches in the first configuration. Further suppose that atsome point in time while the reconfigurable table structure is in thisfirst configuration, an order is placed for a large item that person islikely to sit down to complete. For example, suppose that an order for alarge jigsaw puzzle is placed. Under these circumstances, anconfiguration instruction 144 may be generated to cause thereconfigurable table structure to reconfigure itself from the firstconfiguration into a second configuration in which the table-top portionof the reconfigurable table structure is made up of eighty (“80”) of theindividual robotic elements and that four legs of the reconfigurabletable structure are, in the aggregate, made up of the remaining twenty(“20”) of the individual robotic elements. Thus, it can be appreciatedthat the height of the table-top portion will have been lowered and thatthe total usable area (e.g., square inches) of the table-top portionwill have increased from 1250 square inches to 2000 square inches (e.g.,since each cube is made up of six 25 square inch surfaces).

EXAMPLES OF VARIOUS IMPLEMENTATIONS

The present disclosure is made in light of the following clauses:

Example Clause A, a computer-implemented method for actuating areconfigurable building structure between different physicalconfigurations to accommodate for one or more physical dimensions of anitem, the computer-implemented method comprising: identifying at leastone movable element that define one or more surfaces of thereconfigurable building structure, wherein individual movable elementsof the at least one movable element are configured to be actuatedbetween multiple different positions to modulate the reconfigurablebuilding structure between one or more physical configurations;receiving an indication that the item is to be physically moved into thereconfigurable building structure; determining item dimension data thatdefines the one or more physical dimensions of the item; based on theitem dimension data, determining a particular physical configuration, ofthe one or more physical configurations of the reconfigurable buildingstructure, that is suitable for accommodating physical movement of theitem having the one or more physical dimensions into at least a portionof the reconfigurable building structure; and responsive to theindication, causing actuation of at least some of at least one movableelement, from a current physical configuration into the particularphysical configuration to accommodate the physical movement of the iteminto the at least the portion of the reconfigurable building structure.

Example Clause B, the computer-implemented method of Example Clause A,wherein the indication that the item is to be physically moved into thereconfigurable building structure corresponds to receiving order dataindicating that an order has been placed for the item and that the itemis to be delivered to a physical address associated with thereconfigurable building structure.

Example Clause C, the computer-implemented method of Example Clause B,wherein the indication that the item is to be physically moved into thereconfigurable building structure further corresponds to the itembelonging to a particular category of item that is defined in setupparameters for the reconfigurable building structure.

Example Clause D, the computer-implemented method of any one of ExampleClauses A through C, further comprising: receiving sensor data that isgenerated by one or more sensors in association with at least onemovable element that define the one or more surfaces of thereconfigurable building structure; and analyzing the sensor data toidentify at least one current condition of the reconfigurable buildingstructure, wherein the particular physical configuration is determinedbased at least in part on the at least one current condition of thereconfigurable building structure.

Example Clause E, the computer-implemented method of Example Clause D,wherein the at least one current condition of the reconfigurablebuilding structure corresponds to at least one of: a quantity of one ormore existing items that are currently being stored within thereconfigurable building structure, or physical dimensions of the one ormore existing items that are currently being stored within thereconfigurable building structure.

Example Clause F, the computer-implemented method of any one of ExampleClauses A through E, wherein at least one movable element includes atleast a first shelf and a second shelf that define a shelf-space, andwherein the causing the actuation includes actuating at least one of thefirst shelf or the second shelf to increase a height of the shelf-spaceto accommodate a height of the item.

Example Clause G, the computer-implemented method of any one of ExampleClauses A through F, wherein the actuation of the at least some of atleast one movable element forms one or more storage compartments.

Example Clause H, the computer-implemented method of any one of ExampleClauses A through G, wherein individual physical configurationscorrespond to predefined position combinations of at least one movableelement.

Example Clause I, a system for causing actuation of a reconfigurablebuilding structure, the system comprising: one or more processors; and amemory in communication with the one or more processors, the memoryhaving computer-readable instructions stored thereupon that, whenexecuted by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processorsto: receive an indication that an item is going to be physically movedinto the reconfigurable building structure, the indication received whenthe reconfigurable building structure is in a first physicalconfiguration; determine item dimension data that defines one or morephysical dimensions of the item; analyze, based on the item dimensiondata, configuration data that corresponds to the reconfigurable buildingstructure to identify a second physical configuration of thereconfigurable building structure that is suitable for accommodatingphysical movement of the item having the one or more physical dimensionsinto at least a portion of the reconfigurable building structure; andcause actuation of one or more movable elements, of the reconfigurablebuilding structure, to modulate the reconfigurable building structurefrom the first physical configuration into the second physicalconfiguration.

Example Clause J, the system of Example Clause I, wherein the indicationthat the item is going to be physically moved into the reconfigurablebuilding structure corresponds to receiving order data indicating thatan order has been placed for the item.

Example Clause K, the system of any one of Example Clauses I through J,wherein the computer-readable instructions are further executable to:analyze the order data to identify an item category that corresponds tothe item; and analyze setup parameters that correspond to thereconfigurable building structure to determine whether the item categoryis associated with the reconfigurable building structure.

Example Clause L, the system of any one of Example Clauses I through K,wherein the at least a portion of the reconfigurable building structureis defined by a distance between a first surface of the one or moremovable elements and a second surface of the one or more movableelements, and wherein the actuation of the one or more movable elementsresults in the distance increasing at least until the item having theone or more physical dimensions fits into the portion of thereconfigurable building structure.

Example Clause M, the system of any one of Example Clauses I through L,wherein the computer-readable instructions are further executable to:receive sensor data that is generated by one or more sensors inassociation with the reconfigurable building structure; and analyze thesensor data to identify at least one current condition of thereconfigurable building structure, wherein the second physicalconfiguration is determined based at least in part on the at least onecurrent condition of the reconfigurable building structure.

Example Clause N, the system of any one of Example Clauses I through M,wherein the indication that the item is going to be physically movedinto the reconfigurable building structure corresponds to receivingorder data indicating that an order has been placed for the item.

Example Clause O, the system of any one of Example Clauses I through N,wherein the actuation of the one or more movable elements to modulatethe reconfigurable building structure from the first physicalconfiguration into the second physical configuration forms at least onestorage compartment that is present in the second physical configurationand is absent from the first configuration.

Example Clause P, the system of any one of Example Clauses I through O,wherein the computer-readable instructions are further executable to:receive delivery tracking data associated with a delivery of the item toa physical address associated with the reconfigurable buildingstructure; and generating a configuration instruction to cause thereconfigurable building structure to modulate from the first physicalconfiguration into the second physical configuration prior to thedelivery.

Example Clause Q, a computer-implemented method, comprising: identifyingat least one movable element of a reconfigurable building structure,wherein individual movable elements of the at least one movable elementare configured to be actuated between multiple different positions;receiving configuration data that defines one or more physicalconfigurations of the reconfigurable building structure; receiving orderdata that identifies one or more specific items that are being storedwithin the reconfigurable building structure; based on the order data,determining a particular physical configuration of the one or morephysical configurations of the reconfigurable building structure,wherein the particular physical configuration is designed to adjust aposition of a particular item of the one or more specific items withrespect to a physical environment; and causing actuation of at leastsome of the at least one movable element, from a current physicalconfiguration into the particular physical configuration to accommodateto adjust the position of the particular item of the one or morespecific items with respect to the physical environment.

Example Clause R, the computer-implemented method of Example Clause Q,wherein the at least one movable element that are configured to beactuated between the multiple different positions are shelves that aresupporting the one or more specific items.

Example Clause S, the computer-implemented method of any one of ExampleClauses Q through R, further comprising receiving product placementparameters associated with the one or more specific items that are beingstored within the reconfigurable building structure, and wherein thedetermining the particular physical configuration is further based onthe placement parameters.

Example Clause T, the computer-implemented method of any one of ExampleClauses Q through S, further comprising: identifying a particular personbased on sensor data that is received in association with thereconfigurable building structure; and determining the particularphysical configuration based on profile data associated with theparticular person.

CONCLUSION

In closing, although the various techniques have been described inlanguage specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, itis to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appendedrepresentations is not necessarily limited to the specific features oracts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosed asexample forms of implementing the claimed subject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method for actuating areconfigurable building structure between different physicalconfigurations, the computer-implemented method comprising: identifyinga parameter that controls storage of an item in the reconfigurablebuilding structure; determining a particular physical configuration ofthe reconfigurable building structure based on the parameter and theitem in the reconfigurable building structure; and causing actuation ofat least one movable element from a current physical configuration intothe particular physical configuration.
 2. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 1, wherein the parameter indicates one or more preferredphysical configurations for the reconfigurable building structure andwherein determining of the particular physical configuration of thereconfigurable building structure comprises selecting the particularphysical configuration from the one or more preferred physicalconfigurations.
 3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, whereinthe parameter includes a specific condition under which thereconfigurable building structure is to modulate into one or morespecific physical configurations.
 4. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 1, wherein the parameter describes one or more attributes of theitem, the one or more attributes including at least one of a type, abrand, or a category of the item.
 5. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 1, wherein the parameter is defined by data corresponding to theitem received by the reconfigurable building structure.
 6. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the parameter is definedby an end user of the reconfigurable building structure.
 7. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the parameter is definedby a manufacturer of the reconfigurable building structure.
 8. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the parameter defineswhen to cause actuation of the at least one movable element from thecurrent physical configuration into the particular physicalconfiguration.
 9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, whereinthe parameter defines specific times during which the item is to bemaintained at a particular storage location in the reconfigurablebuilding structure.
 10. A system for causing actuation of areconfigurable building structure, the system comprising: one or moreprocessors; and a memory in communication with the one or moreprocessors, the memory having computer-readable instructions storedthereupon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause theone or more processors to: identify a parameter that controls storage ofan item of the reconfigurable building structure; determine a particularphysical configuration of the reconfigurable building structure based onthe parameter and the item; and cause actuation of at least one movableelement from a current physical configuration into the particularphysical configuration.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein theparameter indicates one or more preferred physical configurations forthe reconfigurable building structure and wherein determining theparticular physical configuration of the reconfigurable buildingstructure comprises selecting the particular physical configuration fromthe one or more preferred physical configurations.
 12. The system ofclaim 10, wherein the actuation of the at least one movable element fromthe current physical configuration into the particular physicalconfiguration is caused prior to storing the item in the reconfigurablebuilding structure.
 13. The system of claim 10, wherein the parameterincludes a specific condition under which the reconfigurable buildingstructure is to modulate into one or more specific physicalconfigurations, the computer-readable instructions further comprising:determine that storing the item of the reconfigurable building structurein the current physical configuration would result in the specificcondition; and determine the particular physical configuration of thereconfigurable building structure from the one or more specific physicalconfigurations based on the specific condition.
 14. The system of claim10, wherein the parameter is defined based on a type of the item. 15.The system of claim 10, wherein the parameter is defined based on abrand of the item.
 16. The system of claim 10, wherein the parameter isdefined based on a category of the item.
 17. The system of claim 10,wherein the parameter is defined by at least one of: data correspondingto the item received by the reconfigurable building structure; an enduser of the reconfigurable building structure; or a manufacturer of thereconfigurable building structure.
 18. The system of claim 10, whereinthe parameter defines when to cause actuation of the at least onemovable element from the current physical configuration into theparticular physical configuration.
 19. One or more computer-readablestorage media comprising instructions stored thereon that, responsive toexecution by a processor, causes the processor to perform operationscomprising: identifying a parameter that controls storage of an item ina reconfigurable building structure; determining a particular physicalconfiguration of the reconfigurable building structure based on theparameter and the item in the reconfigurable building structure; andcausing actuation of at least one movable element from a currentphysical configuration into the particular physical configuration. 20.The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 19, wherein theparameter is based on data that corresponds to a particular person inassociation with the reconfigurable building structure.